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The Indian Hills Mounds Sub-Division is probably the most historic subdivision in the county. On its twenty-four lots laid out are the Indian Mounds which Tocoma (Tex) G. Sloan surveyed in the winter and spring of 1958. The survey located thirty sites which ran the full range of prehistoric occupation as is known for Kentucky areas. One paleo Indian site was located and several archaic, woodland and Mississippian. In the spring of 1959, the Tinseley Hill site was chosen for more investigation because it provided an initial opportunity to document a stone-lined grave site. In Kentucky nearly 1,800 graves of this type have been dug up, but no documentary report site had been published. Since this section lies at the Western edge of the Mississippian Plateau it is capped with a limestone mantle. The digging site selected was almost a mile wide and one hundred feet below the surrounding uplands. It was covered with plustocene and recent sands, gravels, and silts. For two summers students from the University of Kentucky with Mr. Sloan dug among the mounds and reported their findings. These findings were written in a documentary report by the University of Kentucky. Some of the interesting things they found were: That though the burials were usually in clusters there seemed to be no marks as to who was buried or where he was buried. Practically all of these graves were stone lined. The floors were made of fitted limestone slabs but the headstones and floorstones were made of one piece as were the sidewalls. The walls of these graves were extremely close to one another, in fact, some were touching. The average depth of the graves was between one and two feet. They excavated 54 graves and found bones of 82 individuals in perfect condition. They found that most of the Indians were buried in reclining positions, but a few in flexed positions. Some graves contained more than one body. Several instances showed two children buried in the same grave with their heads at the opposite end of the graves. There was no evidence of any of the bodies being wrapped before they were buried. In the graves where there was only one body the graves were so small the body filled it completely. Very few of the graves had any animal bones which fact seems to conflict with the old legend that the Indian's dog was always buried with him. There were very few artifacts and most of the pottery was fragmental. There are additional graves in this vicinity. When the owner, Mr. Dunning, was making a road into this sub-division many more skeletons and pieces of pottery were unearthed. The Princeton Water Works, which is at the present working just across the creek, unearthed a hollow spot some eight feet under ground. In this hollow spot there were many round mud balls containing nothing. We know of no significance to these. The working men are also coming across several strata of ashes, one about four feet under ground and one approximately six feet under ground, which fact would lead one to suppose that these ashes had at one time been fire sites on top the ground. There were two types of Indian burial discovered: the stone-lined and the pit. In the pit graves there were no linings and the bone burials were in no apparent order. There were three times more stone-lined graves found than pit burials. Mr. Dunning said that in the pit burials the pits were so full one was inclined to believe the dead went through some drying process before being buried. In the graves that were excavated the students working on the documentary report found 17 graves where the body was extended and six graves where the body was flexed and one grave that contained a double-flexed skeleton. In several of these graves they found single skeletons, two skeletons and multiple bones (apparently bones from several skeletons). The same was true for the pit burial. During the excavations of the Indian Hills Mounds site, the students found four hundred and seven artifacts. These covered a wide range from modern metal (a fork was found which was given wide publicity), modern ceramics, ground stone items, chipped bone items, and worked bones. The portsherds were the largest group. They also found some fossils, burned clay, mica, charcoal, and channel coal. Most of these were found in graves, some were found outside graves and a few in trenches not associated with graves. They found thirty-two metal artifacts. All were made of iron except one which was made of lead. Eight pottery types were found. There were only three whole pieces of pottery found in the graves. There was not enough pottery collected from the graves to support the legend that food was buried with the bodies. However, many of the graves had been dug into by amateurs and there is no knowledge of how much had already been carried away so no theory can be formed. They found forty-three pieces of pottery in graves and many pieces just outside of graves. In one case they found a pottery floor. Of the modern ceramics they found pieces of ironstone, and china— these would be after 1813. Some American grey stonewear was found dating from 1800-1900; and some lead glazed stoneware which was similar to English Nottingham China. None of the pieces were complete—only small fragments were found. They found nothing to prove any of these graves were dug prior to 1800. The stone artifacts were the most interesting. Forty-two of these were found. These were also found in graves, near graves and in trenches. The largest number (26) were found in graves. These included a scraper, ground stone, a long narrow knife chipped from red flint, a chisel of chipped stone and a piece of what was supposed to be a base drill. All findings and the excavation work was documented by the University of Kentucky. Our information came chiefly from Mr. Levi Dunning who watched the excavations and who is still watching as the Princeton Water Works excavates for and builds the Princeton water plant. He says each day he expects them to cut through and find new things; however, all of the graves so far found have been very near the surface. |
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